Dispensing apparatus for discharging measured amounts of product in manual fashion are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,789 issued to Smith on July 4, 1961 discloses an ice cream dipper wherein a hemispherical bowl is joined to a hollow handle equipped with a squeezable bulb and an air vent. Ice cream is discharged from the scoop by blocking the air vent and squeezing the bulb to discharge air intermediate the ice cream within the hemispherical bowl and the walls of the bowl. U.S. Pat. No. 2,260,689 issued to Miller on Oct. 28, 1941 discloses, in a preferred embodiment, another pneumatically-actuated ice cream scoop wherein air from a squeeze bulb within the handle is introduced intermediate the ice cream in the bowl and the walls of the bowl to effect discharge. To facilitate the flow of air evenly in all directions, a flexible deflector disc of dished form is carried by the inner wall section of the Miller scoop. The peripheral margin of the deflector disc is flexed away from the bowl when air is introduced through the openings behind the disc, thereby allowing the air to pass between the walls of the bowl and the ice cream contained therein.
While such prior art apparatus function to dispense predetermined quantities of a product such as ice cream, they do not function reliably when utilized to dispense materials of adherent, dough-like consistency such as cookie dough. Materials of dough-like consistency generally tend to adhere to the walls of the dispensing apparatus, thus making reliable dispensing of discrete units of product of predetermined size and shape difficult without manual intervention, as by one's finger. Prior art attempts to solve this problem have taken the form of integral wiper mechanisms located within the product containing chamber of the dispensing apparatus, mechanically actuated scrapers mounted within the product chamber, and the like. However, due to the tendency of adherent, dough-like materials to cling to both the chamber walls and the wiping or scraping mechanism, such devices have likewise proven ineffective. Furthermore, prior art dispensing apparatus of the type described above are extremely difficult to clean and maintain in a sanitary condition suitable for handling a food product. In addition, such prior art apparatus are complex and difficult to manufacture, thereby necessitating relatively high cost.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide highly reliable method and apparatus for forming and discharging discrete units of adherent, dough-like product of predetermined size and shape without need for manual intervention to remove the product from the dispensing apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide highly reliable dispensing apparatus for said dough-like product which may be readily maintained in a sanitary condition.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide dispensing apparatus for said dough-like product which can be easily manufactured at low cost.